This time around, though, I’m doing 2 inches of striping in contrasting colors throughout the whole of the sweater and omitting the bottom pockets. I’ve also decided to do a split hem at the bottom.

This is yet another completely stash busting project, which thrills me to no end. The orange is Louet in the Riverstone light worsted in gold leaf and the greenish gray is Cascade 220 heathers in fog heather. Project notes here.

Sean and I finally decided on some art for our bedroom. It’s one of the last places where we hadn’t picked a single thing for the walls. I think this R.C. Gorman is perfect for the space.

Next spring, we might change the wall color. Home decorating is a process; I’m slow, at times, to make a decision. I try to be thoughtful with every purchase and have been collecting one of a kind antique pieces for years. I think it’s paying off.

Finally, this weather makes me feel inclined to knitting. While a hat was what brought me back in the game after a summer hiatus (pictures forthcoming), it’s these neon socks that are solidifying my dance, again, with my favorite fiber craft.

Yet another pair of after-thought heel socks for the doc, who appreciates and wears my socks, daily, albeit more now, in this new, non-desert climate of ours. I love the way the after thought heel looks and takes shape; if you are like me and are inclined to contrasting toe and heel colors, this is the best method for making it look seamless.

These are knit up with Regia Fluormania Color 4-Ply in the Rainbow colorway. It’s a knockout. I’ve never seen anything so bright in my life. But using some leftover bits of Malabrigo Sock in Cote D’Azure, really helped break some of the wow and added a nice pop–the neon lends itself nicely against the darker navy and it reminds me of ski socks.

Quite happy with the way they are turning out; just one more to go.

Do any of you knit your socks two at a time? I still haven’t tried getting into method because I don’t want to invest in a whole ton more circular needles, but thoughts?

This winter, I’m learning to quilt on Sundays from my mum. She’s been a beautiful hand quilter for years, and I’m finally ready to learn her craft. At the Deerfield Fair this past weekend, I saw one of the more incredible hand quilts I’ve seen at the arts and crafts building in years. This quilt had an amazing back story too–the woman who created it spent 4 years toiling on this piecework–1976 to 1980.

There’s been a lot of talk about this “Slow Fashion” movement, but I think the conversation can be extended to “slow making” as well. I see a lot of makers churning out item after item and I often wonder, “How do you have time to complete all those projects so quickly?”

One of my goals this year is to slow down and enjoy the making. In the past, I too, have churned out garment or hat after hat, and never wearing them again or even gifting them out, only to find them years later and say “Oh, yeah. I forgot about this one.” I know inevitably, with knitting for more than a decade, a bit of that is bound to happen. But, my goal is to try and remember the things I make–take time, and care–and not worry about speed or how many items I’m churning out.

This summer, I didn’t knit or make a single garment. And it felt good to take a break. Now that the weather has turned, I have that itch again; I’m just going to be more intentional about where I itch. And that itch may just be in quilting.